Hyundai will be emulating the functionality of a semi-automatic dual-clutch transmission in the top-of-the-line Ioniq 5 N, Technical Adviser Albert Biermann said in an interview. He added that the company was doing it for those fans who simply weren’t ready to ditch the emotions they received from driving traditional ICE cars.
Dubbed Virtual Grin Shift, the system will convincingly imitate the jolts and vibrations of a classic DCT gearbox whenever enabled. In addition to it, the electric car will continuously play back a combustion engine sound using another feature called N Sound Plus. Both features will vary their feedback based on the current speed, and the sound will depend on whether the Grin Shift is enabled or not. Over-the-air updates will bring new acoustic options, and owners will be able to choose their own sounds.
Biermann believes these innovations will finally bring the EV drivers’ experience on par with what i30 N drivers feel when piloting their temperamental hot hatches.
Hyundai expects the Ioniq 5 N to land with around 600 horsepower (450 kilowatts) at its disposal. Compared to the non-N version, it will also benefit from larger brakes, improved power regeneration and a Drift Mode. The Kia EV6 GT, which is based on the same platform and largely the same tech, needs 3.5 seconds for its sprint from zero to 100 km/h (62 mph), but the Ioniq 5 N might end up being faster on the uptake than that.